Vickie211's Custom Fic...."Flame Bait"
by Gethsemane
Summary: This is going to hurt. It's a good story, though. Give it a chance.


Flame Bait   
by   
Gethsemane

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon. I'm doing these fics by request, but I am not doing it for financial gain.**

** This story was written for Vickie211 who wrote: "Well, for what it's worth, I'd like to see a good Ash and Jessie romance."**

** The title is a joke, but the story is serious. Please do not read this if you are a die hard AAMR or Rocketshipper. I've tried to keep it in character. The characters are much older than they are in the current series.**   


Jessie sat in the park reading the paper. She heard the car from miles away, but thought nothing of it until she heard the scream.   
"Oh My God!" screamed a woman from the crowd. Jessie immediately scanned the park.   
"Erica!?" she jumped up and ran toward the screams. She saw her little girl frozen on the side walk as a car, running on the curb, sped at her.   
"Erica! Nooo!" Jessie screamed. A blur came swooping in from off to the side. In an instant her child was no longer there as the brakes of the car squealed and it hit a bike rack. Jessie pushed through the crowd and ran up to the two figures balled up on the grass.   
"Mommy!" cried the pink haired girl, wiggling out of the grasp of her savior and running to her mother.   
"Baby, thank God you are all right!" Jessie cried, hugging the six year old tight.   
"That was close..." said the savior.   
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" cried Jessie.   
"Jessie?" the savior gasped.   
"Ash?" Jessie said, looking at the man who had saved her daughter. He was taller and his hair was longer, but it was him.

"So, how have things been?" said Ash. He was sitting at the bar in Jessie's small kitchen.   
"Things are okay. My life is mostly work and Erica now days." she sighed.   
"Where's..."Ash was interrupted by a knock at the door.   
"I'll get it!" yelled Erica, bounding down the stairs.   
"No running, young lady!" Jessie said.   
"Uncle James! Uncle James!" cried Erica.   
"Hey kiddo! Are ya ready?" James said.   
"I gotta go get my stuff!"   
"I'll be in the kitchen, 'kay?"   
"'Kay!" The girl ran up the stairs and James walked into the kitchen.   
"Hey, Jes! Oh, hi! Didn't realize you had company."   
"Hi, James. Look who it is." Jessie said.   
"Ash? Wow, hey!" James said, reaching out and shaking Ash's hand.   
"Ash saved Erica from a drunk driver in the park today." Jessie said.   
"God! Thanks, Ash. Thanks a lot!"   
"I'm just glad I happened to be there." Ash said. James walked over to Jessie and hugged her.   
"How are you, Jes?" He said, rubbing her shoulders.   
"I'm okay. Are you sure you don't mind taking Erica this weekend?"   
"Of course not. I've nothing to do this weekend but grade papers." James laughed.   
"James is the poet laureate at CCU." Jessie said.   
"Wow!" said Ash.   
"I'm ready!" yelled Erica.   
"Erica, don't yell in the house." James said.   
"Sorry." Erica said.   
"Okay, let's roll!" said James.   
"Bye, Mama! Bye. Mr. Ketchum."   
"Bye Baby, be good." Jessie said. Ash waved. Ash and Jessie sat in silence for a few minutes after James and Erica left.   
"So, um...Erica isn't James'?" Ash stuttered.   
"Oh, no. Erica's dad died a few weeks before she was born." Jessie sighed.   
"I'm sorry. I always thought you two..." Ash stuttered again.   
"Yeah, I know. He's my best friend. We lived together after Curtis died. He helped me a lot with the baby. We tried to have a relationship once, but James is happy being alone.   
"Is he...well..."   
"James is a unique individual. He loves me and he loves Erica, but he has to live his own life."   
Ash felt very uncomfortable for pushing the question. He swirled his drink, nervously.   
"So, what about you, Mr. Pokemon Master? How's your life?" Jessie said, breaking the silence.   
"Well, most of it has been in the news. I took over Surge's gym when he got booted out of the league...that was what, three years ago? I'm pretty sure I'll be a candidate for the Elite Four elections in the fall."   
"That's wonderful!" Jessie smiled, "What about the other tw...guys you hung around with?"   
"Well, Brock opened up a breeding center in Pewter, that's where he's from. Anyway, his dad married a girl Brock's age, knocked her up...geez, five times, I think, and took off again. Brock's taking care of all of them."   
"God! That's horrible. Didn't he have, like, ten siblings to begin with?"   
"Yeah. His dad is just a loser. Anyway, Brock and his step mother get along well...uh, really well since she's moved in with him."   
"So he didn't end up with a Joy or Jenny?" Jes smiled.   
"Nah, but I think he's happy. What a messed up life, though." Ash smiled, "I told him he needed to go on Springer."   
"Yes, I'd have to agree."   
"Let's see...Tracey is the curator of the Art and Science Museum here in Celedon. I don't see him much."   
"Yeah, I know Tracey. He's done illustrations for James' poetry collections."   
"Oh. I didn't know that. Small world, huh?"   
"So, twerp, " Jes laughed, "You gave me the first degree about James, so spill it about Misty. I've seen you two on tv." Ash blushed and rubbed his neck.   
"Well, Mist took over the Cerulean gym when the league was about to close it. Her sisters weren't actually doing their job..."   
"Hm, I remember them." Jes said.   
"Anyway, the world knows we were an item for a while. Luckily the coverage died down, so the world doesn't know that we are no longer together..."   
"Ash, I'm sorry. What happened?"   
"I dunno. We were in love, but we just couldn't get along. We fought constantly. I'd say red, she'd say pink. I just couldn't take it any more. We're still friends, though. I think she's seeing Bill, of all people."   
"Well, that's just the way things go. It is really unfortunate. Back then I honestly thought James and I would get married. But when we kissed, our first serious kiss, we just both knew. It was like kissing a brother or something. Plus, he comes from a very screwed up family. I don't know that he'll ever have a serious relationship...I can't say that I blame him. When I met Curtis, something just clicked that wasn't there with James. He was wonderful. James was a happy for me. We were married three years before Erica came along. I wish he could have seen her...she looks like him." Jessie's wiped her eyes.   
"I'm sorry," said Ash, "Um, what...uh, nevermind." Ash blushed again, looking nervously at the picture of a handsome silver-haired man on the dining room mantle.   
"It's okay. Curtis was in the Navy. The sub he was on was destroyed due to a weapons malfunction."   
"That's terrible. You seem to be doing okay, though." Ash said and suddenly felt stupid.   
"I have my good days and bad. I have Erica and she is a great help." Jes smiled.   
"So...where's Meowth?"   
"Beats me, probably out in the garden." Jessie said.   
"Oh. He lives here?"   
"Yeah, he didn't have anywhere to go after Team Rocket was shut down. He loves Erica. He's been a big help, too. Anyway, are you busy tonight? I'd love to take you to dinner. I owe you."   
"I'm free, but you don't owe me. I'm just glad I was there."   
"Still. Okay then, I owe you for years of torment." Jessie laughed.   
"Hmm, I suppose getting paid back for having to look at a beautiful woman everyday is a good deal." Ash said, his eyes twinkling.   
Jessie blushed. "That was years ago..." she said, twisting her ponytail, nervously.   
"Luckily, some things don't change." Ash smiled, he stood and walked to the door. "Pick you up at seven?"   
"Yeah," Jessie nodded.

Jessie looked in her mirror. She examined the slight crows feet around her eyes. She huffed and blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.   
"What am I thinking? This is not a date! Why am I acting like a nervous schoolgirl? He wasn't flirting...he was just being nice..."   
"He was floitin'." said Meowth, as he hopped up onto her bed.   
"Geez, Meowth. You added three more gray hairs to my head!" Jessie sighed.   
"Jes. Da twerp was floitin', I heard 'im. You look beautiful, Jes. Stop beatin' yerself up."   
"But Meowth, he's a kid. I'm almost thirty and he's..what, barely twenty-two?" Jessie pulled her hair out of the ponytail and ran her fingers through it.   
"So, who cares. You like him, he likes you..."   
"Yeah, right. I'm a _mother, _Meowth. I'm old. I have no life..."   
"Cuz ya think like dat! Ya aren't old Jes. Yer not even thirty, yet!"   
"But I feel old. Besides, what young stud is going to be interested in a woman with a child? I mean, he's got to want us both, or nothing...Why are we even discussing this?! This is Not a date!" Jessie slid into a blue spaghetti-strap top and smoothed her light tan pants. She stared into the mirror.   
"Jes, ya should be out enjoying yerself more often. Ash is a nice twoip, and I tink he likes you. Ya just need ta give it a chance." Meowth said, he jumped down and left the room.   
Jessie looked in the mirror. There was no mistaking the way Ash's comment had made her feel. He looked so good now, too. He was taller than her, now and his face had taken on a more chiseled look. It had been so long since she'd actually went out with anyone besides James or her co-workers that she felt foolish.

"You look gorgeous!" Ash said when Jessie opened the door. Jessie blushed.   
"You don't look so bad either, twerp!" she grinned. Ash laughed and held out his arm. Jessie took it. They arrived at Jessie's favorite restaurant a few minutes later.   
"Whew! I'm stuffed!" Ash said, putting his fork down.   
"Yeah, this place is really feeds you." Jessie agreed.   
"So, uh...what say we go dance this off? I got tickets to Alabaster." Ash said.   
"The nightclub? How did you manage that?" Jessie said, impressed.   
"I have my ways...so are you up to it?"   
"I don't know...I haven't danced in ages."   
"Then I must insist." Ash said. Jessie found herself in line waiting to get into a very exclusive club. She was nervous. She looked at Ash. He grinned back at her.

"Oh, my god!" Jessie said to herself. The interior of the club was amazing. Everything was white marble. The ceiling was very high and immense statues stood in the corners of the room.   
"Come on, let's get a table." Ash said, leading her through the crowd. They found a table and sat. In a short time a waiter came around and took their drink orders.   
"This club is amazing!" Jessie said.   
"Wait until the music comes on and the lights go down." Ash said. As if on cue, it happened. The white walls glared in the darkness and a heavy techno beat blasted throughout the club. The waiter brought their drinks. Jessie sipped hers, trying to loosen up a bit. She looked up realizing Ash was talking to her. She couldn't hear him because of the music.   
"What?" she yelled. She could make out the word "dance" and nodded. The beat of the music was so loud and steady that her body just moved to it out of its own free will. The floor was packed as tight as a sardine can, but the the rhythm was so strong that the floor seemed to move like a wave. Jessie felt very warm, the drink having kicked in, and the crowd in general made the temperature rise. There were sporadic gusts of cold air piped in from a large vent of the ceiling. This helped a bit.   
The crowd shifted and suddenly Jessie found herself pressed up against Ash. She stared at him for what seemed like forever, his warm eyes glittering at her. Suddenly he turned her around so that he was pressed up to her back, his hands wrapped protectively around her waist. She wrapped one of her arms around one of his. The beat of the music carried them as they danced like this for a while. Jessie felt very warm, yet comfortable as their bodies slid against each other. With a sudden shiver she felt Ash's lips by her ear.   
"Are you ready to go?" the words vibrated against her ear. She looked at her watch and was amazed to find that they'd been dancing for two hours. She nodded and he lead her through the crowd.

"That was wonderful. I don't think I've had that much fun in a while, Ash." Jessie said as they stood outside of her door.   
"You should go dancing more often, you are very good." Ash said.   
"So...would you like to come in...for a drink?"   
"Sure." Jessie struggled nervously with the key for a second before the door opened. Ash sat down on the couch while she went and got two glasses of wine. She came back into the living room to find Ash sitting with his head back and his eyes closed. There was soft music playing in the background.   
"Ash..." she whispered.   
"Yeah, I'm just resting my eyes." He sat up and took his glass. Jessie slipped out of her shoes and sat down at the opposite end of the couch. Ash looked over at her and grinned.   
"Hey, I'm lonely over here." Jessie blushed and moved a little closer. Ash scooted over and wrapped his free arm around her. Jessie stiffened for an instant before relaxing into his embrace. They sipped their wine and talked about the evening. Ash finished his wine before she did and began playing with her hair.   
"That was really good wine," he murmured as Jessie finished her glass.   
"Do you want some more?" Jessie asked, making a move to get up. Ash pulled her back.   
"No, just a taste of yours." he said, leaning down and running his tongue over her bottom lip. Jessie's insides went haywire as he began to nibble her lip. Soon she was kissing him back in full force.

A slight noise woke Jessie and she sat up in the bed. Ash was at the foot of the bed putting his shoes on. He looked over at her and smiled.   
"Go back to sleep. I have a lecture to give at Celedon Gym at 8."   
Jessie slid back down into the covers. She was still flowing on an emotional high from the night before. It had been so long since she'd had any physical contact. She felt a little embarrassed for letting things go as far as they did, but she was very happy.   
"Are you doing anything later?" she asked. She didn't want to flat out ask him if he was coming back. She didn't really want to put him in an uncomfortable position.   
"That depends on what you're doing later." He smiled. He leaned over and kissed her. "I know this was all kind of rushed...are you okay with...this." He said, motioning between Jessie and himself.   
"I'm wonderful." Jessie murmured, struggling to stay awake in the midst of her comfortable, warm feeling.   
"Great! I'll be back later." He said kissing her again. He walked to the door and stopped.   
"Jess..."   
"Yeah?"   
"I love you." Jessie sat up and looked at him. He blushed.   
"Oh, Ash..."   
"Shhh. Don't say anything. I just wanted you to know that. I have since I was a kid." He left. Jessie laid back and smiled. She had a good feeling about this.

She was happier than she'd been in a long time.   
  
  


Author's Note: I'm not going into detail about the night, but if anything serious happened, it happened with the proper precautions taken. By the way, If you're going to flame this story flame ME. I don't want to hear anything bad being said to Vickie211. 


End file.
